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Internationally acclaimed neurosurgeon Dr Eben Alexander always considered himself a man of science. His unwavering belief in evidence-based medicine fuelled a career in the top medical institutions of the world. But all this was set to change. One morning in 2008 he fell into a coma after suffering a rare form of bacterial meningitis. Scans of his brain revealed massive damage. Death was deemed the most likely outcome. As his family prepared themselves for the worst, something miraculous happened. Dr Alexander's brain went from near total inactivity to awakening. He made a full recovery but he was never the same. He woke certain of the infinite reach of the soul, he was certain of a life beyond death. In this astonishing book, Dr Alexander shares his experience, pieced together from the notes he made as soon as he was able to write again. Unlike other accounts of near-death experiences, he is able to explain in depth why his brain was incapable of fabricating the journey he experienced. His story is one of profound beauty and inspiration.

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Dr Eben Alexander is known worldwide for his work in developing advanced neurosurgical technologies for complex disorders of the brain. He was educated at Duke Medical School and has worked at Duke University Medical School and Harvard Medical School. During his 15 years at Harvard and subsequent institutions, he authored and co-authored more than 150 chapters and peer-reviewed papers in neurosurgery. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American Academy of Neurological Surgery and numerous other neurosurgical organisations.

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Dr Eben Alexander's near-death experience is the most astounding I have heard in more than four decades of studying this phenomenon. In my opinion, Dr Alexander is living proof of an afterlife. Dr Raymond Moody, bestselling author of Life After Life Dr Alexander's neuroscience career taught him that near-death experiences are brain-based illusions, and yet his personal experience left him dumbstruck. His honest struggle to make sense of this unforgettable journey is a gripping story, unique in the literature of spiritual experiences that may well change how we understand our role in the universe. Dr Bruce Greyson, Carlson Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine; co-editor of The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences An interesting account of how a man's spiritual beliefs were fundamentally changed by an unforeseen and nearly fatal event Glasgow Herald I don't know whether Heaven exists, but I do believe that Eben's account is real and that he witnessed a part of the Universe that most of us haven't seen Anthony Peake, author of Is There Life After Death?: The Extraordinary Science of What Happens When We Die and Making Sense of Near Death Experiences A man of science coming out for life after death has extra resonance, rather like Richard Dawkins saying 'God bless.' Based on his own life experience after falling into a coma, it's a fascinating read whatever your own opinions Belfast Telegraph